I joined Proton just a few days ago, and I’m paying for it so I can use my custom domain.
I watched this interview and it raises a huge question for me (link includes timestamp): https://tilvids.com/w/q1mZzv6eq3iULLmGdV6w6M?start=6m20s
In this interview, Andy Yen says about gmail et al “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”. Then, in nearly the same breath, he boasts that most Proton users don’t pay, they use the basic service for free because that’s all they need.
So my question is: if there’s no such thing as a free lunch (which there isn’t), how come Proton can offer it?
subsidized freemium is a standard practice. it cuts into their profits maybe slightly, but turnover into paying customers is worth it.
Because the paying users subsidize the free product, they pay the free lunch. Meanwhile google, like most big platforms, is (almost, see comment) entirely without payment, instead subsidized by ads (and of course the sold data); with gmail you’re not paying with money, but with your attention (and your data).
Do I really need the paid tier? Not necessarily. Proton provides me with a viable privacy-first service. Like they say; vote with your wallet.
I’ve successfully de-googled myself after ~20 years. It feels good to be free of a corporation doing its best to spy on every aspect my life. If my subscription subsidizes the OP’s free lunch I say cheers mate 🍻, have some free privacy on me.